Electronic device and method for sensing shock to the device

ABSTRACT

An electronic apparatus is provided that comprises a shock detector for detecting a shock received by an electronic apparatus such as a portable telephone, a controller for comparing the value of the shock as detected by the shock detector with a reference value, and a memory element for storing an identifying signal generated when the value of a shock has exceeded the reference value and the value of shock, thereby enabling easy determination as to whether or not a breakdown has been caused by the shock.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such asportable telephone and method of detecting a shock given to theapparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Technical innovations in electronic components have enabledminiaturization of various types of electronic apparatus and theminiaturization has enabled widespread use of portable informationdevices as represented by portable telephones.

[0003] Major cause of breakdown during use of portable telephones isdropping by mistake.

[0004] An electronic apparatus that was dropped naturally receives ashock, and is at times damaged.

[0005] There has been a problem that, on such an occasion, when the userrequests the manufacturer or servicing company for repair, it takes timefor them to identify the cause of breakdown thus hampering immediateresponse to the repair request.

[0006] Also, even when the manufacturer or servicing company clearlystates in the warranty that “Even when the product is under warranty, ifthe breakdown is due to dropping of the product by the user, thebreakdown will not be covered by warranty,” at times the user requeststhe manufacturer or servicing company for charge-free repair orcharge-free replacement when the occurrence of the damage is within thewarranty period.

[0007] In such a case, it is not possible to prove that the electronicapparatus, a portable telephone, for example, has been given anextraordinary large shock (hereinafter referred to as “excessive shock”)that would not occur in normal use. As a result, even when a breakdownis surmised by the manufacturer or servicing company to have been causedby dropping, so far as the user claims that it is not due to dropping,the manufacturer or servicing company had to accept the request forcharge-free repair or charge-free replacement.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0008] An electronic apparatus is provided that comprises a shockdetector having a shock detecting element and a conversion circuit forconverting a signal from the shock detecting element into an electricsignal, a controller for comparing the value of a shock detected by theshock detector with a reference value, and a memory element for storingan identifying signal that is generated when the value of a shock hasexceeded the reference value and the value of the shock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] SFIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a partially broken rear view of the exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a shock detector in theexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the shock detector in the exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shock detecting element in theexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram in the exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a control circuit diagram in the exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a control circuit diagram in another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective view in another exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0018]FIG. 10 is a perspective view in another exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, a description will be given below onexemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] (Exemplary Embodiment)

[0021] In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, display 2, operating section 3, microphone4, and speaker 5 are provided on the front side of the exterior surfaceof body case 1 of a portable telephone.

[0022] Also, antenna 6 is provided on the upper surface of body case 1and, toward a lower position, a terminal for charging (not shown) and aterminal for external connection (numeral 7 in FIG. 7) are provided.

[0023] Furthermore, battery 8, a rechargeable battery, for example, isdetachably placed on the rear side of the interior of body case 1.

[0024] And, shock detector 9 is provided at a lower corner of theinterior of body case 1.

[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 3, shock detector 9 comprises case 10having an upper opening and lid 14 for covering the upper opening. Case10 houses shock detecting element 11, field effect transistor 12 (FET),and resistor 13.

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 5, shock detecting element 11 comprisesfixed section 15 and vibrating section 16 one side of which being fixedto fixed section 15, and fixed section 15 is fixed on the inner bottomsurface of case 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Vibrating section 16 ismade free to vibrate and electrodes 17 are provided on its front andrear surfaces. As vibrating section 16 is of bimorph structure made bycementing two piezoelectric plates with respective direction ofpolarization opposing to each other, electric charges are generatedbetween two electrodes 17, 17 when a shock (acceleration) is applied.

[0027] Also, these components are electrically connected by a conversioncircuit shown in FIG. 4 for converting a signal from shock detectingelement 11 into an electric signal.

[0028] In other words, shock detecting element 11 and resistor 13 areconnected in parallel, and their point of connection is connected togate G of FET 12. Accordingly, when electric charges are generatedbetween two electrodes 17, 17 due to a shock as described above, theyare converted into a voltage signal by resistor 13 as illustrated inFIG. 6, and the voltage is applied to gate G.

[0029] Also, power supply terminal 18 is connected to drain D of FET 12to which a voltage is supplied from a power source (numeral 31 in FIG.7) directly or indirectly obtained from battery 8.

[0030] Furthermore, resistor 19 and output terminal 20 are connected tosource S of FET 12.

[0031] Suppose, for instance, that the voltage applied to power supplyterminal 18 in FIG. 4 to be three volts and the resulting voltage at thepoint of connection between resistor 19 and source S to be one volt, thevoltage that develops across resistor 13 due to a signal from shockdetecting element 11 will oscillate up and down with the above-mentionedone volt in the center as shown in FIG. 6, and the voltage is directlyputout as an electric signal from output terminal 20.

[0032] In the above structure, when body case 1 as shown in FIG. 1 isdropped on the floor, shock detecting element 11 detects the shock dueto impact, the electric charges generated in shock detecting element 11are converted into an electric signal by the conversion circuit shown inFIG. 4 for output at output terminal 20, which is subsequently suppliedto controller 21 in FIG. 7.

[0033] Controller 21 has a function of comparing the input signal with areference value generated by reference value generator 32, and when theinput signal is greater than the reference value, namely, on theoccasion of an excessive shock, it stores in memory element 22 anidentifying signal to determine whether an excessive shock has occurred,value of the input signal (value of the shock), and the date and time ofoccurrence as known from time base generator 33. It also has a functionof informing the user based on an identifying signal that an excessiveshock has been detected by alarm 23.

[0034] By using speaker 5 in FIG. 1 as a sound-making member of alarm23, it is possible to inform the user occurrence of an excessive shockwith sound.

[0035] Also, by providing a light-emitting member in body case 1 in FIG.1 as alarm 23, it is possible to inform the user occurrence of anexcessive shock with light.

[0036] Furthermore, by using display 2 as alarm 23, it is possible toinform the user occurrence of an excessive shock with characters andsymbols on display 2.

[0037] By informing occurrence of an excessive shock to the user byalarm 23 using these means, the user can immediately recognize afterdropping that a breakdown is due to an excessive shock resulting fromdropping, thus making it easy for the user to recognize the cause ofbreakdown.

[0038] At this time, as an identifying signal as to whether an excessiveshock has occurred, the value of the shock, namely, magnitude of theshock, and the date and time of occurrence of the shock are stored inmemory element 22 of FIG. 7, both the manufacturer or servicing companyand the user can jointly confirm the information stored in memoryelement 22 when the user takes body case 1 to the manufacturer orservicing company.

[0039] To be more specific, by connecting measuring instrument 24 toexternal connection terminal 7 as shown in FIG. 7 and confirming theinformation stored in memory element 22, determination can be made as towhether the breakdown is due to an excessive shock resulting fromdropping and the like, and the magnitude of the excessive shock as wellas the date and time of occurrence of the excessive shock can be easilyknown.

[0040] Accordingly, by being able to clarify the cause of the breakdown,quick response to a repair request can be made.

[0041] Also, there will be less number of requests by the user forcharge-free repair or charge-free replacement.

[0042] Shock detector 9 that includes shock detecting element 11 isprovided at a corner inside body case 1 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0043] In general, corners of a case have high strength as plural numberof walls converge at corners. As shock detector 9 is provided at such acorner, possibility of being damaged is low.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 8, by making the circuit of shockdetecting unit 25 that comprises reference value generator 32, time basegenerator 33, shock detector 9, memory element 22, alarm 23, controller21, and external connection terminal 7 separate from the circuit of loadunit 26 that has functions of a portable telephone, shock detecting unit25 can be treated like a black box of an aircraft.

[0045] In other words, by making the strength of shock detecting unit 25higher than that of load unit 26 thereby making it stronger to damagedue to an excessive shock, shock detection can be made without failure.

[0046] In the meantime, in FIG. 8, control circuit 27 for controllingloads (numerals 2 to 5) is connected to memory device 28 in whichprograms for controlling the operation of control circuit 27 are stored.

[0047] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, though a descriptionwas made on a portable telephone as an example, the electronic apparatusand the shock detecting method for an electronic apparatus in accordancewith the present invention may be applied to a portable TV shown in FIG.9 or a camera shown in FIG. 10 as other embodiments of the presentinvention.

[0048] In FIG. 9, shock detector 9 as illustrated in FIG. 3 is providedin body case 29 of a TV, and alarm 23 is exposed to the outer surface ofbody case 29.

[0049] In FIG. 10, shock detector 9 as illustrated in FIG. 3 is providedinside body case 30 of a camera, and alarm 23 is exposed on the outersurface of body case 30.

Industrial Applicability

[0050] The present invention provides an apparatus for detecting a shockreceived by an electronic apparatus such as a portable telephone andmethod of detecting the shock. This invention enables easy determinationas to whether or not a breakdown of an electronic apparatus has beencaused by an excessive shock such as due to dropping.

[0051] Reference Numerals in the Drawing

[0052]1 Body case

[0053]7 External connection terminal

[0054]9 Shock detector

[0055]11 Shock detecting element

[0056]22 Memory element

[0057]23 Alarm

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a shockdetector including: a shock detecting element; and a conversion circuitfor converting a signal from said shock detecting element into anelectric signal; a controller for comparing the value of a shock asdetected by said shock detector with a reference value; and a memoryelement for storing an identifying signal that is generated when saidvalue of shock has exceeded said reference value and said value ofshock.
 2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: anexternal connection terminal that is connected to said controller andthat puts out said identifying signal and said value of shock stored insaid memory element.
 3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising: an alarm that is connected to said controller and that putsout an alarm signal based on said identifying signal.
 4. The electronicapparatus of claim 3, wherein said alarm has a sound-generating member.5. The electronic apparatus of claim 3, wherein said alarm has alight-emitting member.
 6. The electronic apparatus of claim 3, whereinsaid alarm has a display.
 7. The electronic apparatus of in one ofclaims 1 through 6, wherein said memory element stores said identifyingsignal, said value of shock, and the time and date said value of shockhas occurred.
 8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shockdetector is provided at a corner inside the case of an electronicapparatus.
 9. A method of detecting a shock comprising: detecting avalue of the shock by means of a shock detector; comparing said value ofshock with a reference value using a controller; generating anidentifying signal when said value of shock has exceeded said referencevalue; storing said identifying signal in a memory element; and puttingout the stored information from said memory element.
 10. The method ofdetecting a shock of claim 9 further comprising: storing in said memoryelement said value of shock and time and date said value of shock hasoccurred.